Sanders Endorses Down-Ticket Democrats Running for ‘Bold Change’

Among the candidates Sanders endorsed is David Bowen, right, who is running for his second term in the Wisconsin State Legislature. (Composite: Shelly Prevost/Joe Brusky/flickr/cc)

“These candidates are standing up against the wealthy interests and biggest corporations, and putting working families first.”

By Nadia Prupis / 05.24.2016

Bernie Sanders has endorsed eight down-ticket Democrats in his continued efforts to revitalize the party with politically progressive candidates, telling supporters that no one “can take on the billionaire class alone.”

The endorsements come at a pivotal moment in the 2016 presidential race, which has become a fight between populist and establishment candidates. As Katrina vanden Heuvel wrote for the Washington Post on Tuesday, this election “is about who we are as a country…defeating Trump is not just about keeping one person out of the Oval Office. It’s also about electing [candidates] who will fight fearlessly to defeat everything that he represents.”

In an email, Sanders listed the eight state-level candidates he was officially endorsing (see links for more information):

Justin Bamberg is a state representative from South Carolina who was an early endorser of Hillary Clinton’s campaign but switched his endorsement before the primary because of Bernie’s work for “racial, social, and economic justice.” Justin won his last election by ONLY 113 votes and needs our support in what’s sure to be another close race this November.

David Bowen is the son of Jamaican immigrants who is running for his second term in the Wisconsin State Legislature. He fought for and won a living wage for Milwaukee city employees and is a progressive champion Wisconsin needs.

Clara Hart is a refugee from Mozambique whose family fled from violence when she was just 8 years old. Now she’s running for the South Dakota House, where she hopes to continue her work for immigrant families.

Terry Alexander is a representative in the South Carolina legislature who supports raising the minimum wage, expanding health care, and protecting the right to vote. He is a courageous legislator who I’m proud to support.

Carol Ammons became the first African-American woman to win election in her district of the Illinois State Legislature, scoring an upset election victory against a well-funded establishment opponent. She’s fighting for progressive issues and candidates and deserves our support.

Chris Pearson is running for the Vermont State Senate after spending four terms in the Vermont House of Representatives. He is a champion on the issues of livable wages, strong labor union advocacy, climate change, and voting rights. This year he was able to pass a bill into law for automatic voter registration. Chris is a good friend of working people and of mine.

Jane Kim is the first Korean American to win election in San Francisco, and she’s running to become a California state senator. The daughter of immigrants, Jane is a civil rights attorney who’s fought for affordable housing and fair wages in her city.

Joe Salazar is a representative to Colorado’s state house who is a tireless advocate for stopping fracking, protecting civil rights, and advancing criminal justice reform. He won his last election by just 221 votes, and your support will go a long way to helping him win this year.

The latest endorsements follow Sanders’ previous support for progressive favorites like Zephyr Teachout of New York and Tim Canova of Florida, who is running to replace Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the U.S. House.

“Bernie believes that the path toward bold change requires leaders to take back control of state capitols around the country and ensure fair redistricting in 2020,” his campaign manager Jeff Weaver said in a statement Tuesday.

“In their home states, these candidates are standing up against the wealthy interests and biggest corporations, and putting working families first,” Weaver said. “Our people-powered campaign is proud to support them.”